Episode 38: A Harem Isn’t Just a Dream, You Know?
His dreams expanding, possibilities endless, Kazuma approached Shouzo and whispered secretly in his ear.
“By the way, what about that other matter?”
“Well, the blueprints are complete, but are you really sure about that?”
“It’s a man’s romance!”
“No, I understand the sentiment perfectly, but have you consulted them?”
“Nope, I was thinking of unveiling it on the day…”
“You’ll definitely be met with contempt. It’s a bit much for me to say, having designed it myself, but…”
“But still, as a man, I just really, really want to see it.”
“Well, I’m just here to build what I’m ordered to. I won’t be responsible if they get angry.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take full responsibility.”
He thumped his chest reassuringly, but what he had requested concerned the Powered Suits he was preparing for Charlotte and Momoko.
Just as Shouzo feared, Kazuma’s request was packed with lewd elements.
To be specific, it was a Powered Suit with a lot of skin exposure.
If he could be greedy, he would have wanted a Powered Suit that would become obscene when damaged, but he gave up on that idea because it would neglect its defensive capabilities.
It was very frustrating, but the design was generally satisfactory, so he couldn’t complain.
“Then, could you prioritize those over mine?”
“I don’t mind, but are you sure? You wanted your own too, didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but I’ll be fine without one. They’re different, though. They have too many physical weaknesses. They should be strengthened first.”
“Understood. I’ll proceed with it, but… are you really sure?”
“Like I said, I’ll take full responsibility. Go all out!”
“If you go that far, then I, Kurashige Shouzo, will devote my heart and soul to it!”
And so, it was decided that Charlotte’s and Momoko’s exclusive Powered Suits would be prioritized.
As for the design, it resembled the kind of mecha with extreme skin exposure often seen in bishoujo games.
If they found out, they would probably—no, undoubtedly—be furious.
But even so, Kazuma had decided to push forward in pursuit of a man’s romance.
Just as they had settled the matter, Kazuma’s phone rang.
Wondering who it could be, he took out his phone and saw it was from Ema.
Thinking this was perfect timing, Kazuma answered the phone in high spirits.
“Yes, hello?”
“Hello, Kazuma-kun.”
“Yes, yes. What is it?”
“I just received a report confirming the liberation of Okinawa. I called to thank you.”
“If it’s about that, you don’t need to thank me. More importantly, I have something I’d like to discuss.”
“What is it? If it’s something I can do, feel free to ask anything.”
“I’m about to start developing Powered Suits, so could you, Ema-san, arrange for some personnel?”
“That’s fine, but how many people do you need?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Putting the call on hold, Kazuma asked Shouzo how many people would be sufficient.
“Shouzo-san, about how many people would be good?”
“Let’s see. I’d want at least forty or fifty people. The Powered Suits we’re making this time will be built by dividing them into individual parts, so it would be helpful to have specialists too.”
“Okay. I’ll ask him.”
After hearing Shouzo’s request, Kazuma took the call off hold and spoke with Ema again.
“Hello, Saitou-san. I need about forty to fifty people and some specialists. Is that possible?”
“Hmm… In that case, how about I send over the National Defense Force’s development department and researchers? They handle everything from development to manufacturing of the National Defense Force’s equipment and weapons, so they should be a great help.”
“Is it really okay to do that? Won’t there be any issues with the National Defense Force’s equipment and weapons?”
“We have plenty of spares, and thanks to you, attrition is low. Allocating some to your project won’t be a problem.”
“Oh! But can you do that much with your authority, Saitou-san?”
“Yes. I have subordinates in the Ministry of Defense.”
“So, it’s really okay then?”
“Of course. It’s not a bad deal for us either. If new Powered Suits are developed, the benefits would be immeasurable.”
“These are custom-made, completely indulging my personal tastes, you know?”
“Hahahaha. That’s true, but the know-how will remain, won’t it? If we modify the specifications for mass production, recouping the investment will be easy.”
“I see… So I get to make my custom equipment, and you get to incorporate new technology.”
“Well, that’s about the gist of it. Does that not sit well with you?”
“No, I don’t mind. As long as it’s not misused.”
“I can promise you that. However, humans are creatures of deep karma. Those who would misuse it will likely appear sooner or later.”
“When that happens, I’ll crush them. Well, unless it’s something really extreme, I’ll turn a blind eye.”
“That’s reassuring. Well then, I’ll contact you again when preparations are complete.”
“Please do.”
Hanging up the phone, Kazuma took a breath.
He would be busy from now on, fully dedicating himself to the development of the Powered Suits.
Alicia’s training was also a concern, but unlike Charlotte and Momoko, she was a combat-type Gifted.
Her fundamentals were already established, so she only needed a little advice.
Thanks to that, he wouldn’t have to be constantly preoccupied with her.
“(The problem is the Ivera Church… but those two haven’t made any major moves. Are they holding a strategy meeting, or are they wary of me? In any case, I’ll keep monitoring them.)”
Kazuma, who had placed a Marking on Azrael and Runazeru, was constantly aware of their movements.
For now, no major movements were observed, so he predicted that the Ivera Church was plotting something beneath the surface.
Kazuma was unaware, but the Ivera Church was making preparations to attack an upcoming international conference.
Of course, they were spending time bolstering their forces and steadily expanding their influence, but it was certain that their efforts would be ruined by a single pervert.
Since there was no point in dwelling on it, Kazuma shifted his thoughts and turned to Shouzo with a broad smile.
“Alright then, shall we begin!”
“We don’t have any materials or anything yet…”
“………Alright! Dismissed!”
Although they had funds, they lacked the necessary supplies for development, so they ended up disbanding for the day.
◇◇◇◇
Then, the next day.
Kazuma was having breakfast at Ivy.
Currently, the Seventh Esper Academy was in the middle of winter vacation, so most students had returned home, Kazuma being one of them.
However, it wasn’t as if he had nothing to do; a single email arrived on Kazuma’s phone.
“Hm?”
“Don’t look at your phone while you’re eating. It’s bad manners.”
“Ouch!”
Noticing the sound of an incoming email, Kazuma took his phone out of his pocket, and as he was checking who it was from, Honoka smacked him on the head.
Apologizing briefly, Kazuma quickly finished his breakfast and read the email.
“A Christmas party?”
The email was from Shunsuke, and its content was an invitation for everyone to have a Christmas party.
It seemed quite carefree, but in the first place, it was only Kazuma who had been busy recently; ordinary students would be enjoying their winter vacation.
There had been an Ibinom attack incident a little while ago, but thanks to the Crimson Knight, the damage had already been minimized, so the world was in a Christmas mood.
“Hmmmm…”
He definitely wanted to participate, but Kazuma was currently a busy man.
That said, it was only related to the Powered Suits, so it wasn’t that overwhelming.
However, developing Powered Suits wasn’t something that could be done overnight.
It was something that took an enormous amount of time—one month, two months, three months, a year, two years.
However, Kazuma had a secret plan.
Yes, the Space-Time Magic he had used for Charlotte’s and the others’ training.
If he used Space-Time Magic to significantly reduce the workers’ perceived time, development in a short period would likely be possible.
However, there was a risk that the workers might go mad.
“If only I’d hear from Saitou-san…”
Even if using Space-Time Magic was fine, he first needed to make a schedule.
Currently, at Kurashige Industries, although the blueprints were complete, they had absolutely none of the materials needed for Powered Suit development.
Moreover, they were short on personnel and couldn’t start work.
Kazuma had spoken to Ema, and personnel had been secured, but he hadn’t heard back yet, so he couldn’t make a schedule either.
“Should I press him for an update…?”
“Kazuma. I know you’re busy, but if you’re done eating, clear your dishes and think about it after you go back to your room.”
“Ah… sorry. I’ll clear them right away.”
Warned by Honoka, Kazuma remembered he was still at the dining table, and just as he was told, he immediately cleared his dishes and returned to his room.
“He’s completely forgotten about us, hasn’t he?”
“As you can see, he’s a busy person.”
“Even though we’re having breakfast together…”
“Men are like that when they’re working.”
The four of them watched Kazuma’s back as he returned to his room alone.
Alicia, Momoko, Charlotte, and Sakura Hakanai finished their breakfast with the children of Ivy.
“I’m sorry to ask, but once breakfast is over, could you help hang out the children’s laundry?”
“Got it. Leave it to us.”
“Understood.”
“Please leave it to us!”
“We’re in his care, so it’s only natural, right~”
“(…I wonder which of these girls will become Kazuma’s bride? One of them has quite an age gap, but that doesn’t matter, does it. Technically, Japan has introduced polygyny and polyandry, so it’s possible for all of them, but…)”
In the past, when the population had drastically decreased due to the Ibinom, Japan had introduced polygyny and polyandry as one of its measures.
However, while the population has now stabilized due to an increase, making such cases rare, polygyny and polyandry still remain in effect today.
That said, it’s not easily done.
One must have an income level sufficient to support a life even when married to multiple wives or husbands, the ability to love multiple spouses—though not necessarily to the extent of being a paragon of virtue—and furthermore, be a person of good character to be approved.
Essentially, if it’s judged that there are problems with one’s character that would hinder married life or child-rearing, one will not be approved by the state.
“(I wonder if that boy has what it takes? I’ve raised him well enough, so I don’t think there should be a problem, but…)”
Honoka was seriously contemplating which of the girls before her would become Kazuma’s bride.
He had brought girls over in the past, but he had never brought only girls to Ivy.
It had always been within the bounds of so-called friends, in mixed groups of boys and girls.
But now, he was bringing so many women to Ivy that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a harem.
Kazuma was also sixteen, an age where boys start to mature.
It wouldn’t be strange for him to have a girlfriend or two.
“(Hmm. But, that boy has some strangely difficult aspects to his personality, so I wonder if he’ll be alright? I’m worried these girls might get fed up with him and dump him~. He’s had some strange experiences in the other world, so he’s likely to struggle even more, isn’t he~.)”
Being his mother, she completely understood Kazuma’s personality.
Knowing that he had shattered numerous romantic flags up until now, Honoka was simply worried.